


Love Me Till I'm Dead

by msculper



Category: Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fatalism, M/M, Why project one one half of your otp when you can project on both?!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-11-29 02:09:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11430957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msculper/pseuds/msculper
Summary: After being brought back to camp, Caleb doubts himself.





	Love Me Till I'm Dead

Caleb found him talking to a few other officers in semi-hushed tones about God only knew what. "Major Tallmadge, sir," he murmured in the most official-sounding voice he could manage, "if I could speak to ya."  
Ben attempted to wave him off with a bemused grin and shake of his head.   
"It's about a debrief, uh, sir."   
Finding no reason to believe Caleb was lying, or at least not caring whether or not he was, the dragoon leaned back into his conversation. "If you'll excuse me."  
Caleb led the way back to Ben's tent. He barely waited until Ben had walked in to bring them together with a crushing kiss. Ben hummed in confusion as Caleb, as feeble as he was, backed him onto his bed. In the breath it took Caleb to break away and straddle Ben's lap, the beautiful man beneath him breathed his name with a laugh.   
But Caleb hadn't time for that. With vicious fingers, he tore off Ben's neck tie and opened the top of his shirt. With anxious, trembling lips, he attached to Ben's neck, leaving trails of saliva and beard burn across the pale skin. He ground his hips into Ben's, relishing in the moan he elicited. Ben's hands immediately latched onto his hips.  
Ben, in a gasp that ended up a groan, questioned Caleb, "To what do I owe this special... debrief, Caleb?"  
Caleb was getting more frantic, less worried about the painful pull of skin and scabs across his chest. He bit down on the top of Ben's shoulder and his hips stuttered. "Call it a dead man's last wish."  
His lover instantly stilled beneath him. "What?"  
Switching to the other side of Ben's neck, he whispered, even quieter, "A dead man's final wish, Tallboy."  
Ben's thumbs pushed at his hip bones. "Caleb?" They grew more insistent until Caleb pulled back far enough to make eye contact. Caleb ran a knuckle across his lip.   
"They say -"  
"Who says?"  
"The doctors say I won't make it." Caleb refused to meet Ben's eyes, even as his hands fretted up and down Caleb's sides.   
"If anyone were to look Death in the face and tell him to turn around, it would be you, Caleb Brewster."  
Shaking his head incredulously, Caleb laughed and stood. "I'm only a Lieutenant, it won't make much difference whether I say anything or not."  
"This isn't a laughing matter."  
"Is anything anymore?"  
Ben's hand on his waist tightened. "Caleb, I don't know what's gotten into you this time, but I don't like-"  
"I'm good as dead, Ben, okay?" He felt like screaming. "Whether or not I actually die, I'm still useless." Ben, damn the bastard, just tilted his head and rubbed his thumb back and forth, catching in the worn cotton of Caleb's shirt. "I barely made it to Setauket and back."  
"That's okay, Setauket is the farthest you'll have to go and you'll get used to it."  
"Until we move camp again." Caleb gripped Ben's hand until he heard his knuckles pop. "I can't throw a tomahawk, Benny, I can barely hold one upright - and where am I supposed to hold a musket?" He gestured at his chest, torn from shoulder to shoulder with gashes. "I'm not use as a courier if I can't hardly stay up on a horse, am I Ben?" As he spoke, Ben stood and slid his hands around his waist to lock his hands at the small of Caleb's back.   
"But you forget who you really are. You're the top advisor to the Head of Continental Intelligence. Washington listens to you. Hell, you're the only one who can handle Anna and Mrs. Woodhull at the same time, Caleb. You're a translator with our Native allies, you can trade with them and the French, you know how to find the strong alcohol in camp."   
Caleb melted against his chest, trying to hide the tears.  
"You're not going to die," Ben took his head in his long, loving hands, "and you will always be useful." Ben kissed him, slow and sweet and so much more than he deserved.   
And if Caleb fell asleep on Ben's cot, with his cheeks covered by Ben's lips and his dreams filled with a shared old age, that was quite enough for one day.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I hope you enjoyed this little fic I cranked out over two consecutive 2am writing sessions! I'm technically on a tumblr hiatus etc., but I wanted to get this up before the new ep. :)


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